| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18:00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19:00 hrs) | FED TV (19:30 hrs) | RT RS (19:30) |
| SFOR on RS espionage | Sarovic’s removal certain | FBiH Supreme Court | ‘Orao’ sanctions |
| HR to remove Sarovic | Anti-DPA activities in RS | SFOR on RS espionage | SFOR on illegal intelligence |
| 25 mill KN for BiH Croats | War against Iraq | War against Iraq | Milosevic’s trial |
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| Co-life in BiH | Visoko airport case | HR on land allocation ban |
| Oslobodjenje | Mirko Sarovic is no longer chief of state; SFOR confirmed – internationals and BiH citizens spied on; Where did money for refugees go to – documents from 15 companies confiscated; |
| Dnevni Avaz | Hadzipasic supported Biber; A ceremony in Sarajevo – judges and prosecutors took an oath; ‘Orao’ – Ashdown to remove Sarovic today; CRA assessment – ‘Eronet’ should pay 21 million KM; Avaz’s writing confirmed – robbery in ‘Holiday Inn’ proved |
| Dnevni List | Because of affair, systematic reform of armed forces in BiH is necessary; Secure Pope’s visit to BiH; Volunteers and Veterans reacted against The Hague verdicts pronounced against Tuta and Stela; Are Croats biggest culprits for war in BiH? |
| Vecernji List | What do lawyers say after verdicts for Tuta and Stela were pronounced – transcripts involved state in dispute as well; Paddy Ashdown on Sarovic’s removal today; Friar Sito Coric – Petritsch will have to pay $ 300 million |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | RS agents are also active in Split and Mostar!; Lijanovic was brought in by police because he broke into his own company; Croat public is unanimous when verdicts pronounced against Tuta and Stela are in question – it could have been worse! |
| Glas Srpski | Doboj Public Security Centre – a team for money laundering; A deadline for application of the rule book on work of open markets expired: First warning, then closing; Nebojsa Pavkovic detained |
| Nezavisne Novine | SFOR – the RS Army spying on citizens and international community; The resolution on ‘Orao’ affair today: Paddy Ashdown dismissing Mirko Sarovic; Belgrade – General Nebojsa Pavkovic arrested |
| Nedeljni Telegraf | Legija located, claims the Serbian government and reveals – he offers a deal to The Hague – Karadzic and Mladic for freedom |
| Blic | The RS Army had a secret plan for spying; Cajevec in strike until director is removed; Beecroft – citizens do not trust politicians in BiH; Tihomir Gligoric – too expensive making of land books; Politicians and former officials worked with criminals |
| Vecernje Novosti | Pavkovic detained |
‘Orao’ Affair | |
| Sarovic to be removed
| Avaz pg. 1 and 3 by S.N. – HR Paddy Ashdown today will remove Mirko Sarovic, abolish the RS Supreme Defence Council and proclaim amendments to the RS Constitution that will erase words such as ‘state’, ‘independence’ and ‘sovereignty’ and order the establishment of a commission for reforming army and strengthening of the state role in the control over military entity effects. This way, HR will not only sanction the political responsibility following the ‘Orao’ affair, but also correct systematic faults that led the RS to breach the UN sanctions. Furthermore, Avaz found out that a serious ‘clean up’ is to follow at the RS and federation armies. Amongst other things, the Federation Army components are to be abolished and mechanisms that control both armies – the Permanent Military Committee and BiH Presidency – will be strengthened. The revisions in armies and defence ministries in both entities will continue. Oslobodjenje pg. 1, 4 and 5 – an SDS MP at the BiH HoP, Zoran Spasojevic, said that everyone in the party expected Sarovic to be replaced by Borislav Paravac, Deputy Chairman at the BiH HoR. Paravac apparently would take over thanks to his current position at the SDS – Vice-President because, according to the daily, it would be more logical if the post was taken over by Milos Jovanovic who won most votes as an SDS rep at the last elections. Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘Ashdown dismissing Sarovic’- the OHR yesterday evening officially confirmed that the High Representative would issue a set of decisions today related to the ‘Orao’ affair. The daily quotes OHR Spokesman, Vedran Persic, as saying that the High Representative’s decisions will deal with the political responsibility regarding the violation of the UN Security Council and a need for systematic reforms in order to prevent similar affairs in future. Vecernji List pg. 1 and 2 and Vjesnik pg. 2 ‘Ashdown on Sarovic’s removal on Wednesday’ – according to yesterday’s issue of Nezavisne Novine, a source close to the OHR informed that HR Ashdown should officially announce his decision on the removal of Chairman of the BiH Presidency Mirko Sarovic today. Sarovic is considered to be a person who is politically responsible for the ‘Orao’ affair. |
| Vukovic | Oslobodjneje pg. 5 an insert with the above mentioned article ‘Sarovic will come back when internationals leave’ – Dragan Vukovic, Sarovic’s Media Advisor, predicts that the removal will not represent the end of Sarovic’s political career. “That is not a political burial. Sarovic will return to the BiH political scene when the mandate of the IC expires and when international officials who make decisions in this country leave.” Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘Ashdown dismissing Sarovic’ – Vukovic stated that Mirko Sarovic would not go public until the High Representative announced his final decision. |
| Cavic’s Cabinet | Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘Ashdown dismissing Sarovic’ – Spokeswoman of the RS President, Jelena Davidovic, stated that President Cavic’s Cabinet would not make any comments. |
| Commentary in Oslobodjenje | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Sarovic’ by Senka Kurtovic – the author thinks it’s only fair that Sarovic be removed. “No more reactions to accusations that have been proved,” writes Kurtovic, “and that goes for the Orao affair and the latest – espionage one.” She concludes that Sarovic did not cause damage to himself, but to all of us especially in the RS. “Where they believed they chose the best. The follower of Radovan Karadzic.” |
Espionage Affair | |
| SFOR
| Avaz pg. 4 ‘The RS government supported anti-Dayton activities’ – despite the fact that the SFOR still has not completed analysis of documents they confiscate during the raid of the RS Army premises on March 7 this year, the findings so far indicate that 410 military-intelligence unit of the RS Army conducted a number of serious anti-Dayton activities. This informationw as presented at yesterday’s press conf by SFOR Spokesperson Dale MacEachern. Also, documents have been found that indicate a direct relation between the RS army leadership and the unit’s operations. SFOR Spokesperson stated that there were many indications that the RS government were supporting anti-Dayton activities or obstructions. Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 3 – also reports on MacEachern’s statement from yesterday. Also, that he had no info whether the 410 spied on activities of Croatian bodies, but said the inspection was still in the process. Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 – a report from yesterday’s SFOR press conference in Sarajevo. Spokesman confirmed the RS Army intelligence service was wire-tapping and collecting information on the international community institutions, SFOR, OHR as well as individuals and organisations in both entities. Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 1 and 15, Vecernji List pg. 20 ‘SFOR confirms espionage by RS Army’, Dnevni List pg. 1 and 7 – reported on the above statement by SFOR Spokesperson. Blic pg. 2 ‘SFOR: there is a secret document’ – “These actions are in clear violation of Annex 1A of the DPA. Furthermore, these actions equate to treating legally constituted organisations, charged with administrating and keeping the peace in BiH, as hostile organisations,” said MacEachern. |
| RS Defence Ministry | Avaz pg. 3 an insert with the article on ‘Orao’ affair ‘The RS Ministry of defence waiting for SFOR’s analysis’ – Branko Trkulja, Spokesperson for the RS Defence Ministry, stated they were waiting for SFOR’s report on the claims that 410 unit was conducting a number of serious, anti-Dayton activities. “The ministry is currently of the view that they would wait for an official report and after they studied it they would undertake necessary measures.” |
| RS Army HQ
| Blic pg. 2 ‘SFOR: there is a secret document’ – RS Army HQ’s Information Service Head Branko Pralica refused to comment on the claims, saying the RS Army HQ was checking all media claims in regard to alleged spying on the IC. “Official stand of RS Army Chief of Staff, Cvjetko Savic, is not to give any comments on that,” Pralica said. He added they would state their stand when they received official document from the SFOR. |
| Reactions | Avaz pg. 10 ‘Intelligence services have to monitored’ – reactions by BiH politicians following the findings on the espionage affair in the RS. Elmir Jahic, SDA Vice-President, said the affair was the best indicator of the lack of connection between intelligence, civil and military structures in the RS with war indictees. Added it was clear intelligence had to be put under the state control. “The experience so far shows the RS authorities won’t do it, so the OHR will have to.” Safet Halilovic, President of the SBiH, said the affair was the best example that intelligence services structured in the current manner could not protect BiH. Added the moment has come to transform intelligence services into one. Sejfudin Tokic, SDU Vice-President, said this was the most drastic example that a state service was acting against the interest of its own state. Slobodan Popovic, SDP Main Board Vice-President, said there was no dilemma – RS president as an institution has the authorities equalling to those of a king. Popovic therefore thinks it would be logical his responsibility equalled his authorities. Barisa Colak, HDZ Acting President, said it was clear the parliamentary control was lacking in the case of intelligence services. |
| RS agents in Mostar and Split | Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 1 and 15 – according to information available to a source close to NATO, the RS Army’s 410-intelligence detachment was in the past years spying on the OHR, US ambassadors to BiH, members of SFOR and many local and foreign officials and institutions. According to a source in NATO, all information was forwarded to the KOS in Belgrade (Serbian & Monte Negrin counter intelligence). The daily also says that all the seized documentation, confiscated in the raids in Banja Luka, show that the 410 Unit did not work independently, but was a part of the system. Also, SD’s report says the RS intelligence had agents in bodies of the IC who informed the KOS and the 410 Unit about the OHR’s activities, especially about crime prevention and fight against criminal activities. SD stresses the part of documentation, which apparently shows that the KOS was spying on a number of politically active persons from Bihac, Tuzla, Jajce and Mostar. Finally, the daily claims that agents targeted some persons from Split and Makarska (Croatia). |
| VL
| Vecernji List pg. 1 and 4 – notes that the illegal espionage related activities of the RS Army’s intelligence will speed up the establishment of the civilian control of the intelligence structures adding that the state structures do not have any influence on the work of the intelligence. Saying that the entities are not capable of carrying out reforms of the military and civilian intelligence, as confirmed by the silence of the RS officials regarding the latest affair, VL carries a statement by Speaker of the BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives, Sefik Dzaferovic. He said the best guarantee that similar affairs did not occur in the future would be forming of a defense-security sector at the state level. According to Dzaferovic, the IC should assume the role of a reformist. “I deem that the key role in the process should be played by the IC,” said Dzaferovic. |
| Perisic | Dnevni List pg. 1 and 4, Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 15 ‘Systematic reforms for armed forces’, Blic pg. 2 – OHR Spokesperson, Vedran Persic, said at yesterday’s press conference held in Sarajevo that the ‘Orao’ and espionage affairs clearly showed that a systematic reform of armed forces in BiH needed to be implemented and put under an appropriate civil and state control. Persic could not confirm when the High Representative would undertake measures regarding the two affairs. |
| Barasin | Blic pg. 2 ‘SFOR: there is a secret document’ – Ostoja Barasin, Military and Political Analyst, claims that if RS Army intelligence officers were doing something they called military secret, then the 410 MI Detachment’s organisation was not regular. “They did not manage to do it secretly, but they allowed that to get political and public.” According to him, if proved these were anti-Dayton activities, the competent authorities would have to suffer consequences no matter whether they knew about that or not. “As far as Mirko Sarovic’s removal is concerned that is something normal if individual responsibility is proved. If he knew about that, he should undertake certain steps, and if he did not, then something was wrong in the chain of command and he, as a supreme commander, should bear responsibility,” Barasin said, adding that if Mirko Sarovic was removed then that should not be a problem of the RS nor should the RS suffer sanctions due to that – institutions should not be punished because of an individual’s responsibility. |
Political Affairs | |
| Schilling supports Zubak
| Avaz pg. 4 ‘Schilling supporting Zubak in the Tuka case’ – international mediator for BiH, Christian Schilling, sent a letter of support to NHI President, Kresimir Zubak, in regard to the party requests to respect the Election Commission procedures in case of removal of Mijat Tuka. “Without a revision report and an explanation, no measures can be taken against the accused parties. That is a basic pre-condition of all procedures in states regulated by the state of law. I am appalled with the final conclusion and undertaken measures.” He further expressed his personal disbelief in the responsibility of Mijat Tuka. Dnevni List pg. 4 ‘Respect procedures of rule of law and Election Law’ and Slobodna Dalmacija last page ‘Schilling supports Zubak’ – an NHI press release saying that International Mediator for BiH Christian Schwartz Schilling sent a letter of support to NHI President Kresimir Zubak regarding the NHI demand to respect the procedures of rule of law and the BiH Election Law in relation to the recent decision of High Representative Paddy Ashdown to remove NHI representative Mijat Tuka. “I understand your reaction completely and I agree with your stand that any kind of moves must not be taken without the audit report and explanations of the accused ones. This is the basic prerequisite of all procedures of the rule of law. I am appalled by the final decision and the measures that have been taken.” |
| State land ban extended
| Avaz pg. 4 ‘The ban on allocating state land extended until May 15’ – OHR Spokesperson, Vedran Perisic, told a press conf yesterday that HR Ashdown on Monday decided to exent the ban on the allocation of the state land in BiH. The ban has been extended until May 15, or rather until the commencing of the legislative measures that regulate the state owned property issues. Nezavisne Novine pg. 2 ‘Paddy Ashdown’s decision: ban on the allocation of state owned land extended’- High Representative issued a decision extending the ban on the allocation of the state-owned land in BiH, first introduced by a Decision of the High Representative on 27 April 2000. |
| Colak | Avaz pg. 9 ‘The HDZ-SDA partnership burdened with relations in the FBiH government’ – HDZ Acting President, Barisa Colak, yesterday told the daily that the HDZ-SDA partnership was not functioning as both parties would want. He said the HDZ saw as the main problem, but not the only, the fact that the executive authority in the HNK has not been established and they think it’s mainly due to the fault of SDA reps in that Canton. He said that they would therefore request a meeting with the SDA leadership. An insert ‘Civil Service’ – Colak said the proposal f the Civil Law showed that a lot of things were not functioning right in the SD-HDZ partnership. “We were in favour of establishing ten cantonal agencies for the civil service, and the SDA was not in favour of such idea from the start.” Dnevni List pg. 6 ‘Decisive battles over spheres of interest’ and Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 17 ‘Unhealthy attitude of SDA and HDZ towards Mostar’ – the NHI Cantonal Board of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK) issued a press release saying that the SDA and HDZ were not able to reach an agreement when the constituting of the executive authority in this Canton was in question and this shows that these two parties had unhealthy partner’s relations. The press release also says that the decisive battles over the spheres of interest and already defined ethnic territories are being fought and advocating of interests of other peoples through programs of return, employment and survival are just a demagogic game for the naïve ones. |
| OHR on Civil Service Law | Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘The OHR won’t support 11 agencies’ – Vedran Perisic, OHR Spokesperson, said the IC was willing to financially help BiH in reforms of the civil service, but that included the adoption of the Law on Civil Service at the entity and state level. He added the IC was not clear why they would help and the FBiH citizens pay for officials in 11 civil services. |
| OSCE survey | Avaz pg. 3 ‘The public in BiH has not trust in politicians, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Most BiH citizens do not trust politicians’ – on survey results conducted to find out whether BiH have any faith that local politicians are determined to implement reform of the public companies. Blic pg. 7 ‘People do not trust politicians’ – “Public in BiH has very little or no trust whatsoever that politicians are determined to fight organised crime. A great majority believes that the main political parties are managing public companies,” Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Robert Beecroft, yesterday said at a press conference. Beecroft said that the mentioned research revealed that the public has a single stand and expectation that managing of public companies must be reformed. “Almost 70 percent of questioned persons stated that state companies must be restructured and they also did not believe that politicians were properly carrying out the battle against corruption,” Beecroft said. Nezavisne Novine pg.2 ‘Citizens do not trust authorities’ – the survey showed that over 70% people questioned did not trust that their authorities and political representatives were doing enough on the prevention of corruption. Dnevni List pg. 8 ‘Public has no trust in BiH leaders’ – survey results. |
| BiH HoR | Nezavisne Novine pg. 9 ‘BiH gets the Law on protection of minorities’- the BiH House of Representatives passed the Law on Minorities at a session held yesterday. Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘The Law on Protection of National Minorities adopted’ – adopted the Law in the same text as adopted in June last year by the HoR. Dnevni List pg. 5 ‘Law on protection of national minorities rights adopted’ and Vecernji List pg. 2 ‘House of Peoples on rights of minorities’ – on the adopted Law. |
| RS NA | Nezavisne Novine pg. 9 ‘Session of RS National Assembly today’- delegates of the RS NA will discuss changes and additions to the RS Action Plan for restructuring and privatisation of the energy system in BiH. |
| Lawsuit against former HR | Vecernji List pg. 1 and 2 by Zoran Kresic – the Croatian World Congress (CWC) has filed a compensation claim with a court in New York against former High Representative for BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, and according to the daily’s sources close to the CWC, the court has accepted the claim and will render it. The CWC is accusing Petritsch of destroying Herzegovinian economy, which occurred after the raids into the Hercegovacka Bank. The CWC is seeking $ 300 million from Petritsch. According to VL, lawyers believe the claim is unrealistic believing it is important to attract the attention on ‘the illegal activity of former head of the international community in BiH’. VL also notes that previous requests filed by the CWC with the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg were dismissed. |
Economic Affairs | |
| Hadzipasic supports Biber
| Avaz pg. 1 and 2 – Federation PM, Ahmet Hadzipasic, said the Federation government would, via its respective bodies, review the ‘Markovic’ privatisation (ex-YU). As for the concept of privatisation, Hadzipasic said that the inter-resource group would soon offer to the government concrete solutions. Avaz pg. 2 ‘Workers must not be left in the street for the dishonourable ones to get to real estate’ – Edhem Biber, BiH Union President, met yesterday with FBiH PM Hadzipasic and the two agreed to propose to the federation Parliament the adoption of the Law on Revision of Privatisation so far. According to Avaz’s sources, the Union is already in the process of preparing a working version of the Law on revision of Privatisation. Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘The revision of privatisation to be conducted’ – on the Biber-Hadzipasic meeting. Dnevni List pg. 2’Need to carry out privatization process audit agreed upon’ – the two talked about activating the Economic-Social Council, passing of the new Law on Bankruptcy etc. Hadzipasic also stressed the importance of cooperation between the government and the trade unions in order to resolve the crucial elements of the economic and social nature of this country. |
| Eronet | Avaz pg. 1 and 4 by E. Mandal– the CRA on Monday forwarded tot eh CoM an estimated price the Mostar ‘Eronet’ should pay for getting the third GSM licence. CRA Spokesperson, Amela Odobasic, did not want to reveal any detailed info related to the report submitted tot eh CoM. She said the Czech company ‘Price Waterhouse’ did the evaluation job. Unofficially, the daily found out that ‘Eronet’ should pay 21 million KM for a 10-yeat licence. An isnert ‘A meeting at Thursday’ – semi-official info that on Thursday CRA Director David Betts should meet with Communication Minister Branko Dokic. |
| Bulldozer | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘The Parliament has reason to adopt reforms’ – Vedran Perisic, OHR Spokesperson, stated there was no reason for the BiH Parliament members to reject reforms outlined by the Bulldozer Commission, which are to be discussed next week. Commenting on the criticism of reforms in respect to the obligatory membership at the Small Business (Craft) Chamber, Perisic said there was always resistance to changes. Added the aim of reforms was to make the mentioned chambers more efficient. |
| RS ministries on Bulldozer | Glas Srpski pg.3 ‘Four recommendations disputable’ – representatives of several RS ministries, Chamber of Commerce, Privatisation directorate and Securities Commission yesterday discussed recommendations of the Bulldozer Commission. The Secretary of the Ministry for Economic Relations and Coordination, Branislav Zugic, stated that out of 18 recommendations related to the RS, 14 were accepted while the other four would be further discussed with the OHR. Blic pg. 7 ‘Difficult to estimate deadlines’ -“It will be necessary to additionally consult with the OHR on the issue of double tax paying on profit, then the principle of transferring location for collecting traffic tax, changing of membership in the RS chamber system from obligatory to voluntary basis, and the issue of obligatory membership in the Craft Chamber,” specified Zugic. He stressed that the introduction of these new systematic solutions ‘could have direct consequences on the introduction of VAT, as well as on the very technique of applying these regulations’. |
| Mikerevic on ‘Power 3’ project | Nezavisne Novine pg. 12 ‘Mikerevic nominates three local companies for Power 3’ – RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, stated yesterday that he would try to agree with World Bank Director, Joseph Ingram, to implement the ‘Power 3’ project as soon as possible, and that local companies participated in this and similar projects. |
| Law on Land Books | Blic pg. 6 ‘No money for double job’ – experts criticise the Law on Land Books recently imposed by High Representative Paddy Ashdown. According to Tihomir Gligoric, Director of the RS Agency for Property and Geodetic issues, the RS has so far had a single filing system of the land books. In line with the imposed Law, apart from the Agency, the courts will also have to have the same filing system, because the property right will be determined before the courts. According to Gligoric, instead of the single filing system, there will be a parallel system and the RS is a poor country to have two filing systems on the same thing. |
| BiH Elektroprivreda – Croatian Elektroprivreda | Slobodna Dalmacija back page ‘Croatia biggest buyer of electricity from BiH’ – the JP Elektroprivreda BiH and Croatian Elektroprivreda (HEP) yesterday signed a contract on sale of electricity and transit of electricity. The contract worth 290 million KM, signed by General Manager of the JP Elektroprivreda BiH, Enver Kreso, and Chair of the HEP Steering Board, Ivo Covic, stipulates that BiH will export to Croatia 5220 GWh in the next six years. |
Education Affairs | |
| Union seeking OHR’s help | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘The Union seeking OHR’s help’ – the Union of primary and secondary schools in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK) sent an open letter to HR Ashdown requesting the office to help them finally establish the government in the mentioned canton. The letter reads that certain individuals in the canton serve only in the best of their own interests and interests of their groups, and not in best interests of workers and people. |
Judicial Affairs | |
| FBiH judges and prosecutors
| Dnevni List pg. 3 ‘Another beginning for the Federation rule of the law’ – 22 judges of the Federation Supreme Court and nine Prosecutors of the Federation Prosecutor’s Office took an oath yesterday in Sarajevo. On this occasion, Vice President of the BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils, John Peyton, stated that these events were of crucial importance in order to make the rule of law a part of the BiH society, and added they were especially important for the BiH economic development. Avaz pg. 1 and 2, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Judges and prosecutors took an oath’ – on yesterday’s ceremony in Sarajevo. |
| Charges against Bosniaks and Croats | Dnevni List pg. 2 ‘Six cases against Bosniaks and Croats’ – the RS Office for Relations with The Hague and Investigations on War Crimes, yesterday forwarded the ICTY Prosecutor’s Office in Banja Luka six cases against persons of Croat and Bosniak nationality for war crimes committed against Serbs during the war in BiH. Head of the aforementioned RS Office, Dejan Miletic, stated that this was about three criminal charges of the Doboj County Prosecutor’s Office and three criminal charges of the Srpsko Sarajevo County Prosecutor’s Office. |